Between Them: Remembering My Parents Audiobook

From American master Richard Ford, a memoir: his first work of nonfiction, a stirring narrative of memory and parental love

How is it that we come to consider our parents as people with rich and intense lives that include but also exclude us? Richard Ford’s parents—Edna, a feisty, pretty Catholic-school girl with a difficult past; and Parker, a sweet-natured, soft-spoken traveling salesman—were rural Arkansans born at the turn of the twentieth century. Married in 1928, they lived “alone together” on the road, traveling throughout the South. Eventually they had one child, born late, in 1944.

For Ford, the questions of what his parents dreamed of, how they loved each other and loved him become a striking portrait of American life in the mid-century. Between Them is his vivid image of where his life began and where his parents’ lives found their greatest satisfaction.

Bringing his celebrated candor, wit, and intelligence to this most intimate and mysterious of landscapes—our parents’ lives—the award-winning storyteller and creator of the iconic Frank Bascombe delivers an unforgettable exploration of memory, intimacy, and love.

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“Insightful, enlightening, and emotionally evocative, especially as performed by narrator Christian Baskous…Baskous uses his dulcet voice and practiced pacing most effectively in scenes in which Ford describes living with his colorful grandfather…Fans of [Ford’s] iconic character Frank Bascombe may find real-life connections between the character and the artist in this examination of recollection, intimacy, and love. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”

— AudioFile